THE COOL CLUB
Create drinks that are a little bit different this festive season by infusing your own booze.
Prepare a few weeks ahead for the tastiest infusions, but don’t worry if not, you can still get a great infusion in a few days.
For these infusions you will need 1 litre of spirit and a sealed bottle. See our below ideas for how to get started…
Festive Gin
Time
2 days minimum
Ingredients
Pour 1 litre of mid-priced dry gin into a pan and add 3 cinnamon sticks, 2 cardamon pods, 4 star anise and a few slices of ginger then warm on a very low heat for 5 minutes. Pour into a sealed jar and allow to cool and infuse in a dark place for at least 24 hours. Then, add half an orange (with the pith removed) for 24 hours and taste. If happy- strain the liquid into another bottle and try to leave at least for another 2 weeks to infuse further before drinking. Feel free to be creative with the infusions on this one! Why not mix it up and add your favourite Christmas flavours?
Salted Caramel Vodka
Time
4 to 5 days minimum
Ingredients
Add approximately 20 caramel sweets to 1 litre of vodka and give a good shake. Leave in a cool dark place and shake every day for the next few days. After 4 or 5 days the flavour should have infused enough (you can always taste to see)! Use a coffee filter to strain the liquid, there may be some froth at the top and it might clog so change the filter when needed.
Add a pinch of sea salt to taste and it’s ready to serve!
Raspberry Vodka
Time
1 to 3 weeks
Ingredients
Add 500g raspberries, 250g caster sugar and 2 vanilla pods to a litle of vodka. Turn and gently shake the bottle until the sugar has distributed. Turn and shake daily for a week, then leave for at least 2 weeks in a cool dark place (the longer the better!). Once ready, sieve through a coffee filter or fine cloth into bottles and enjoy. Tip: Don’t waste the raspberries – use them to make a boozy raspberry jam, another great gift.
If you love your infusions, why not make in smaller sealed bottles and giveaway as gifts? Tie a bow around the neck and you have yourself a handmade present.
Get more inspiration for drinks during the festive season by purchasing our Little Book of Festive Drinks from Amazon. 80 pages of everything from indulging cocktails, alcohol free alternatives and even ideas of what nibbles to serve at the party thanks to our friends at Tart London. It’s one not to miss! There’s only a limited amount available get yours today!
